Mineral Evolution Database
Created and maintained by the Mineral Evolution Project in partnership with RRUFF and mindat.
Mineral locality data provided by mindat.org



The Mineral Evolution database is currently under development.

The goal of this page is to present localities at which the mineral is found, and estimates of the oldest possible geologic age of the minerals at these localities.


Locality Name:
Paratoo Copper Mine, Yunta, Olary Province, South Australia, Australia

Oldest recorded age at locality: 2500
Youngest recorded age at locality: 0

mindat Locality ID: 6989
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-6989.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Paratoo Copper Mine, Yunta, Olary Province, South Australia, Australia": 0
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 0

Latitude: 32°40'40"S
Longitude: 139°19'50"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -32.677777777778,139.33055555556

AThis mineral is Anthropogenic.
GThis mineral is directly dated.
BThis mineral is reported as having this age.
YThis mineral is using an age reported as an element mineralization period.
OThis mineral is using an age calculated from all data at the locality.
RThe age displayed for this mineral originates from a different, non-child locality.
PThe age displayed for this mineral is the range of ages for this mineral at all of this locality's children.
This mineral's age has not yet been recorded.

This Mineral list contains entries from this locality, including sub-localities. Minerals in bold are reported by mindat.org as occurring directly at this locality, and do not occur at any children (sublocalities) of this locality.

Elements at this locality, including sub-localities: Al Ba C Ca Ce Cl Cu Er F Fe H K La Mg Na Nd O P S Si Sr Ti U Y Yb 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Al Ba C Ca Ce Cl Cu Er F Fe H K La Mg Na Nd O P S Si Sr Ti U Y Yb 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AllophaneAmphiboleAnalcimeAncyliteApatiteAtacamiteBaryteBastnäsiteBranneriteCalcite
CarbocernaiteChabaziteChalcopyriteClayClinozoisiteConnelliteCorundumDiasporeDigeniteEpidote
FeldsparFluoriteFornaciteGypsumKaoliniteMalachiteMckelveyiteMicaMonaziteNone
Not in a structural groupPyriteQuartzSmectite-vermiculiteSpinelTengeriteZircon

49 IMA Minerals at location:
Actinolite  (*)Albite  (*)Analcime  (*)Anorthite  (*)Atacamite  (*)
Azurite  (*)Baryte  (*)Bastnäsite-(Ce)  (*)Bastnäsite-(La)  (*)Brannerite  (*)
Britholite-(Ce)  (*)Calcioancylite-(Nd)  (*)Calcite  (*)Caysichite-(Y)  (*)Celestine  (*)
Chabazite-Na  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Chrysocolla  (*)Coffinite  (*)Connellite  (*)
Cuprite  (*)Decrespignyite-(Y)  (*)Digenite  (*)Dolomite  (*)Donnayite-(Y)  (*)
Epidote  (*)Goethite  (*)Gypsum  (*)Hematite  (*)Ilmenite  (*)
Kamphaugite-(Y)  (*)Kaolinite  (*)Magnetite  (*)Malachite  (*)Monazite-(Ce)  (*)
Muscovite  (*)Nontronite  (*)Paratooite-(La)  (*)Pseudomalachite  (*)Pyrite  (*)
Quartz  (*)Siderite  (*)Synchysite-(Ce)  (*)Tengerite-(Y)  (*)Tenorite  (*)
Törnebohmite-(La)  (*)Uraninite  (*)Xenotime-(Y)  (*)Zoisite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Actinolite  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe2+0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)22500003419
Albite  (*)FeldsparNa(AlSi3O8)2500008803
Analcime  (*)AnalcimeNa(AlSi2O6)·H2O2500001627
Anorthite  (*)FeldsparCa(Al2Si2O8)2500001036
Atacamite  (*)AtacamiteCu2Cl(OH)3250000544
Azurite  (*)Not in a structural groupCu3(CO3)2(OH)22500005509
Baryte  (*)BaryteBa(SO4)25000011547
Bastnäsite-(Ce)  (*)BastnäsiteCe(CO3)F51400304
Bastnäsite-(La)  (*)BastnäsiteLa(CO3)F5140030
Brannerite  (*)BranneriteUTi2O6250000248
Britholite-(Ce)  (*)Apatite(Ce,Ca)5(SiO4)3(OH)51400115
Calcioancylite-(Nd)  (*)AncyliteNd2.8Ca1.2(CO3)4(OH)3·H2O514005
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)25000027770
Caysichite-(Y)  (*)None(Ca,Yb,Er)4Y4(Si8O20)(CO3)6(OH)·7H2O514008
Celestine  (*)BaryteSr(SO4)2500001252
Chabazite-Na  (*)Chabazite(Na3K)[Al4Si8O24]·11H2O25000066
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS225000027198
Chrysocolla  (*)Allophane(Cu2-xAlx)H2-xSi2O5(OH)4·nH2O2500003531
Coffinite  (*)ZirconU(SiO4)·nH2O250000566
Connellite  (*)ConnelliteCu36(SO4)(OH)62Cl8·6H2O250000295
Cuprite  (*)Not in a structural groupCu2O2500002970
Decrespignyite-(Y)  (*)NoneY4Cu(CO3)4Cl(OH)5·2H2O514001
Digenite  (*)DigeniteCu1.8S2500001027
Dolomite  (*)NoneCaMg(CO3)22500009895
Donnayite-(Y)  (*)MckelveyiteNaSr3CaY(CO3)6·3H2O5140013
Epidote  (*)Epidote ClinozoisiteCa2(Al2Fe3+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)2500008173
Goethite  (*)DiasporeFeO(OH)2500007437
Gypsum  (*)GypsumCa(SO4)·2H2O2500006890
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O325000014640
Ilmenite  (*)CorundumFe2+Ti4+O32500005433
Kamphaugite-(Y)  (*)NoneCaY(CO3)2(OH)·H2O5140028
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)42500005591
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O425000014899
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)225000012537
Monazite-(Ce)  (*)MonaziteCe(PO4)51400945
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)225000017380
Nontronite  (*)Clay Smectite-vermiculiteNa0.3Fe3+2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2·nH2O250000471
Paratooite-(La)  (*)Carbocernaite(La,Ca,Na,Sr)6Cu(CO3)8514001
Pseudomalachite  (*)NoneCu5(PO4)2(OH)4250000369
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS225000039462
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO225000061156
Siderite  (*)CalciteFe(CO3)2500006417
Synchysite-(Ce)  (*)NoneCaCe(CO3)2F51400232
Tengerite-(Y)  (*)TengeriteY2(CO3)3·2-3H2O5140024
Tenorite  (*)NoneCuO2500001101
Törnebohmite-(La)  (*)FornaciteLa2Al(SiO4)2(OH)514002
Uraninite  (*)FluoriteUO22500002718
Xenotime-(Y)  (*)ZirconY(PO4)51400939
Zoisite  (*)EpidoteCa2Al3[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)2500001025



Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Giersdorf_00000993Uranium mineralization in the Lake Frome area are hosted by paleovalleys and paleochannels which typically run north-south in the Eyre Formation.
Giersdorf_00000993bUranium mineralization in the Lake Frome area are hosted by paleovalleys and paleochannels which typically run north-south in the Eyre Formation.
Michelle_496The Paratoo deposit is hosted in the dolomitic shales of the Burra Formation, near the Adelaidean Paratoo Diapir. A unique REE mineral assemblage is found in the top 2-3 m of the deposit.
Michelle_497The Paratoo deposit is hosted in the dolomitic shales of the Burra Formation, near the Adelaidean Paratoo Diapir. A unique REE mineral assemblage is found in the top 2-3 m of the deposit.


5 Ages assigned to this locality:

Excel IDMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)Age as listed in referenceDating MethodAge InterpretPrioritized?Sample SourceSample NumRun NumAge from other LocalityDated MineralMinerals explicitely stated as having this ageAge applies to these ElementsMinDat Locality IDDated Locality (Max Age)Location as listed in referenceReferenceReference DOIReference IDAge Notes
Giersdorf_00000993252525-4     Yes U159060Northeast, South Australia, AustraliaLake Frome AreaJaireth et al. (2010) AN97_21 
Giersdorf_00000993b646-4     Yes U159060Northeast, South Australia, AustraliaLake Frome AreaJaireth et al. (2010) AN97_21 
Giersdorf_000009945.33.15.3-3.1U-Pb coffinite, carnotite  Yes U159060Northeast, South Australia, AustraliaLake Frome AreaJaireth et al. (2010) AN97_21 
Michelle_4962500252Proterozoic, Paleozoic Age of system activity at deposit      6989Paratoo Copper Mine, Yunta, Olary Province, South Australia, AustraliaParatoo Copper MineBrugger et al. (2006)10.1180/0026461067060361MM70_609Age of system activity at deposit. The precise timing is unknown of the mineralization due to the complex geology. It is estimated that regional activities continued to supply heat, fluids and elements from the Proterozoic to the Paleozoic. The REE minerals were likely very late stage, mineralized with basinal brines, with REE supplied from either the Callana group or Paleo-Mesoproterozoic basement gneisses.
Michelle_4975140Delamerian, 0 Age of youngest deformation     La, Ce, Y, Nd6989Paratoo Copper Mine, Yunta, Olary Province, South Australia, AustraliaParatoo Copper MineBrugger et al. (2006)10.1180/0026461067060361MM70_609Age of Delamerian Orogeny (514 - 500 ma) to recent. The precise age of REE mineralization is unkown due to the complex geology but is likely to be more recent than the Delamerian. It is estimated that regional activities continued to supply heat, fluids and elements from the Proterozoic to the Paleozoic. The REE minerals were likely very late stage, mineralized with basinal brines, with REE supplied from either the Callana group or Paleo-Mesoproterozoic basement gneisses. Sedimentation ceased at the onset of the Delamerian Orogeny.


SampleSource LocalityReference URL
R060302Paratoo Copper Mine, Yunta, Olary Province, South Australia, Australiahttps://rruff.info/R060302
R110066Paratoo Copper Mine, Yunta, Olary Province, South Australia, Australiahttps://rruff.info/R110066


All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

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